Lake Goygol
Encyclopedia
Göygöl is a natural impounded lake in Azerbaijan
. It is situated at the footsteps of Murovdag
, not far from Ganja
.
. In 1925 the lake was incorporated into the newly founded "Goy Gol State Reserve" which was superseded as Göygöl National Park in 2008.
among them. It is situated at 1,556 meters above the sea level. The complete length reaches 6,460 meters. The depth of the lake is 93 meters. Due to pureness of the water, one can see underwater life clearly 8-10 meters below the surface. The lake fauna is very rich. The Göygöl Trout
has evolved from the river trout since the natural creation of the lake.
The Göygöl area is known for dry winters and mild to warm summers. Rainfalls range from 600 to 900 mm.There is an Azerbaijani Army corps close to Göygöl. The lake is a major tourist attraction during the spring and summer seasons. In 2009, more than 4500 tourists have visited Goygol. Among the tourists, many are German nationals. In the vicinity of Göygöl, there are settlements populated by ethnic Germans, many monuments of German culture and an old German Lutheran church built in 1854.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. It is situated at the footsteps of Murovdag
Murovdag
The Murovdag is the highest mountain range in Lesser Caucasus . It is made up mainly of Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleogene rocks....
, not far from Ganja
Ganja, Azerbaijan
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
.
History
Due to an earthquake which hit the area on 25 September 1139, parts of the Kapaz Mount collapsed and blocked the path of the Kürəkçay River. As a result of diversion of water flow, a lake with pure mountain water was created, hence the name given signifying the pureness of the water. The nearby city of Khanlar was renamed after the Göygöl Lake on 25 April 2008. The city founded as Helenendorf by first German settlers in Azerbaijan in 1819 and with considerable German minority until 1941 had been renamed to Khanlar in 1938. In 1941, German settlers were relocated by Soviet authorities to Kazakhstan and their homes were filled by Armenians by orders of Anastas MikoyanAnastas Mikoyan
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan was an Armenian Old Bolshevik and Soviet statesman during the rules of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, and Leonid Brezhnev....
. In 1925 the lake was incorporated into the newly founded "Goy Gol State Reserve" which was superseded as Göygöl National Park in 2008.
General information
Greater Göygöl area is often split into 19 lakes, 8 of which fall into large lakes category, Maralgöl, Zelilgöl, QaragölQaragöl
Qaragöl is a village in the Zangilan Rayon of Azerbaijan....
among them. It is situated at 1,556 meters above the sea level. The complete length reaches 6,460 meters. The depth of the lake is 93 meters. Due to pureness of the water, one can see underwater life clearly 8-10 meters below the surface. The lake fauna is very rich. The Göygöl Trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
has evolved from the river trout since the natural creation of the lake.
The Göygöl area is known for dry winters and mild to warm summers. Rainfalls range from 600 to 900 mm.There is an Azerbaijani Army corps close to Göygöl. The lake is a major tourist attraction during the spring and summer seasons. In 2009, more than 4500 tourists have visited Goygol. Among the tourists, many are German nationals. In the vicinity of Göygöl, there are settlements populated by ethnic Germans, many monuments of German culture and an old German Lutheran church built in 1854.